Saalim has been sentenced to death by both the Criminal Court and High Court in the murder case of Mahmood Aboobakur.
High Court of Maldives yesterday maintained the Criminal Court's verdict which landed foreign national Shah Alom Mia (Saalim) a death sentence after being convicted of murdering A.Dh. Dhangethi businessman Mahmood Aboobakur.
The Bangladeshi man was convicted of attacking and killing Mahmood with sharp objects and metal rods before throwing him into a well in October of 2021, and was convicted by the Criminal Court in 2022.
After Saalim failed to appeal the ruling in High Court, prosecutors escalated the case to the court to ensure the authenticity of the verdict.
In the verdict issued by the High Court yesterday, all three judges on the bench unanimously agreed that Saalim's confession and the supporting evidence proves he is guilty of the crime. Two out of the three judges ruled that the Criminal Court's ruling of capital punishment is to be maintained considering that all heirs of Mahmood requested for the verdict as per Islamic Shariah.
The case was reviewed at High Court by Judge Hassan Shafeeu, Judge Mohamed Niyaz and Judge Fathimath Faruheeza, with Judge Shafeeu as presiding judge.
Although Saalim initially confessed to the crime at Criminal Court, he later denied the murder, but then again went back on his statement at the High Court and requested to maintain the capital punishment.
However, a death penalty can only be implemented after the case is also reviewed by the Supreme Court. While there are currently four individuals on death row, Maldives has not carried out an execution since 1954.
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